It’s a first French disappointment in tennis in Melbourne. Aged 33, Alizé Cornet, 112th in the world and recipient of an invitation, was stopped in the first round of the Australian Open by young Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-4 this Sunday.
This is the fourth time in the last five Grand Slam tournaments that Cornet, who was playing his 68th major tournament in a row, lost from the start.
A match lasting more than two hours
The match was, however, much tighter than the score would suggest, since the two players battled for more than two hours, in the Melbourne wind. Alizé Cornet notably ruled out two 6-0 balls in the first set.
At 20 years old, Timofeeva thus obtained the very first Grand Slam victory of her young career.